2013: A Year in Pictures

2013: Most of the year's focus for Billy Graham was on My Hope America and the filming of "The Cross," which featured Mr. Graham's new message to America, watched by more than 2.5 million people on FOX News on Nov. 7, 2013, the night of his 95th birthday.

MARCH: More than 90,000 people came out to hear a Gospel message by Franklin Graham at the Festival de Esperanza (Festival of Hope) in the mountain town of La Paz, Bolivia.

MARCH: The Festival of Hope was an event for all ages, and thousands responded to the Gospel.

MARCH: La Paz, Bolivia, the highest capital in the world at more than 2 miles above sea level. Here two women get a bird's-eye view of the Festival of Hope.

MARCH: New believers were given materials to help strengthen their relationship with Christ.

APRIL: George Beverly Shea passed away on April 16, 2013. Mr. Shea was 104 and spent more than 60 years ministering with Billy Graham and Cliff Barrows, who gave a touching tribute at his Montreat funeral: "We lost the third member of our trio,” he said before breaking the moment with a well-timed line. "The two of us don’t sound so good together.”

MAY: An EF5 tornado ravaged the town of Moore, Oklahoma, killing 24 people and injuring 377. The Rapid Response Team responded to both Moore and Shawnee to help with emotional and spiritual care.

MAY: Franklin Graham gives encouragement to the Moore, Okla., residents who survived the EF5 twister on May 20.

MAY: Franklin Graham joins a prayer at a memorial of seven crosses for the seven children who died at Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla.

JULY: A wildfire near Prescott, Ariz., took the lives of 19 firefighters who were trying to contain the blaze on June 30. The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team arrived the following day to offer spiritual and emotional care to people who lost homes or loved ones. Chaplains spent a portion of their time talking with people near a makeshift memorial set up in honor of the fallen firefighters.

JULY: “People’s worlds have been turned upside down,” said Rapid Response Team chaplain Kelly Burke. “You can see the tears and the emotion and the pain on people’s faces. Everybody knew somebody.”

SEPTEMBER: A 500-year flood devastated an area of Colorado nearly 200 miles wide and caused eight deaths. The Rapid Response Team sent three dozen chaplains to Boulder and the surrounding area. The chaplains prayed with more than 2,000 residents, many of whom suffered severe flood damage to their homes.

SEPTEMBER: “The streets are lined with piles of people’s lives,” said Rapid Response Team chaplain coordinator Carolin Perez, who deployed to the floods with her husband, Desi.

SEPTEMBER: In a country of only 320,000 people, Iceland hosted the Festival of Hope on Sept. 29-30 in Reykjavik, where nearly 6,000 people came out to hear the Good News of Jesus.

SEPTEMBER: Michael W. Smith brought an emotional worship set to the people of Iceland.

SEPTEMBER: After Franklin Graham delivered the Gospel message, hundreds came forward each night to begin a new relationship with Christ. “My wife was sobbing next to me,” one believer in attendance said about the number of people responding to the invitation. “And I started to cry. It’s just amazing."

SEPTEMBER: "In Iceland, people don’t show their feelings. So for Icelanders to come forward to receive Jesus...," an emotional Iceland resident said after the second night of new believers. "This gives us hope."

SEPTEMBER: Fukushima Celebration of Hope with Will Graham featured the grandson of Billy Graham preaching in the same town that suffered a nuclear power plant meltdown following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Japan.

SEPTEMBER New believers in Tokyo, responding to a Gospel message from Will Graham, hold up lights to indicate a decision for Christ on Sept. 30.

SEPTEMBER: Listening to a Gospel presentation geared toward children in Fukushima, Japan.

OCTOBER: During the 44th Annual Dove Awards, Michael W. Smith kicked off a tribute to Billy Graham on Oct. 15 at Nashville's Lipscomb Allen Arena. The tribute honored Mr. Graham's life of ministry and promoted the My Hope CD released that day, featuring 11 Christian artists.

NOVEMBER: Billy Graham is introduced at his 95th birthday party in Asheville on Nov. 7. Shortly after "The Cross" was shown to 900 guests, which included a clear Gospel presentation.

NOVEMBER: More than 25,000 churches around the country registered for My Hope America, using one of four outreach videos in their church and homes to help reach their friends, neighbors and family members.

NOVEMBER: Prisons also used the My Hope videos to share Christ to inmates.

NOVEMBER: Living rooms across the country hosted mini crusades, where Billy Graham's message was delivered via DVD, online streaming or through local and cable TV programing.

NOVEMBER: Hosts for My Hope were creative, including this outreach under a white tent, reminiscent of Mr. Graham's tent revivals in the late 40's.

NOVEMBER: Volunteers across the country helped staff one of the biggest outreach efforts in the 60-plus year history of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

NOVEMBER: The Abundant Life Festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand drew more than 70,000 people over three nights to hear the Good News on Nov. 22-24.

NOVEMBER: Franklin Graham shared Christ to Chiang Mai and thousands came forward to make a decision for Jesus Christ.

NOVEMBER: Dennis Agajanian helped set the tone with his guitar prowess.

NOVEMBER: Touched by the Holy Spirit in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

DECEMBER: The Sixth Annual Teddy Bear Tea was held on Dec. 7 at the Billy Graham Library.

25TH ANNIVERSARY: The fall of 2013 marked the 25th Anniversary of ministry at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Asheville, N.C.

Give to Where Most Needed

The need is urgent. The time is now. Billions of people across the globe are still waiting to hear the lifesaving Gospel message, and each day 93,000 of them pass into eternity–without hope. We need partners who are passionate about seeing lost men, women and children surrender their lives to Jesus Christ. We need partners who will pray fervently and give generously. We need you.

i love Billy Graham he is such a man of God. thank you for encouraging me. i need it so bad, Im going through family warfare. i need your prayers daily. thank you for your love and support God Bless you evertday Mattie from Texarkana, ark

Thank you very much Billy Graham Evangelistic Association I am a life that was changed. You are really the light of the world. so keep shining until the Lord’s return. God bless you abundantly as you continue on His glorious mission.

This is a bright spot in an increasingly dark world. I am so glad there is still hope in the world, that Billy Graham brought salvation to dark America as well as dark world continents, and that Franklin is carrying n his father’s work in the manner in which God has led him. God has said, “My word will not return void”, and every Christian’s work in spreading the gospel helps bring the unsaved to the Light.

nice very nice you are doing a great job you are really doing a work to save the people to darkness to sin & bad things you just want to save us because your mission is great so i really appreciate you & pray for your mission & your life may God give you long life